Revetment.



D. MCD. SHEARER.

REVETMENT.

APPLICATION FILED Dic. 30. 1914.

Patented Heb. 29,1916. Y

3 SHEETS-:SHEET l.

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Wl TNESSES mman BY w A TTOR/VEYS D. MCD. SHEARER.

REVETMENT. APPucAToN FILED DEC. 30. 1914.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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n. MCD; SHEARER.

REVEIMENT. vAPPLICATION FILED DEC. 30, 1914.

Patented Feb. 29,1916.

WITNESSES Byht E- rica.

DAVID MCDOUGAILD SHEARER, OF GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

nnvnrivinn'r.

revetment mats for the protection of sub-.

aqueous river banks and shores from current and wave erosion and to promote soil stability, and the object thereof is to provide a practical, economical structure of mat, the units of which are of concrete, whereby it may be placed in strong currents and in great depths of water.

To this end my invention resides in the main in the connections both between the units themselves and between groups of such units, which connections will clearly appear from the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, diagrammatic in its nature, illustrating the general manner in which-the mat is laid. Fig. 2 is a plan view `onan enlarged scale, of a portion of adjacent sections of the mat. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. it is a similar'view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. is a vertical longitudinal section taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6lis a plan view of one complete section and the side and end portions of adjacent sections, on a substantially reduced scale.

Referring now to these figures and more particularly to Fig. 1, the general nature of my invention may be better'understood by reference to the continuous mat A placed along the subaqueous portion of a bank B to protect the latter against current and wave erosion, and the iiexible nature of which may be inferred by comparison of the full and dotted line positions of portions of the mat in the course of laying the same. The placement of this mat is accomplished by launching the same from a suitable dcvlce C shown in full lines in Fig. 1 at substantially the position of casting off oi' the mat and shown in dotted lines in the same figure at various points more or less removed from the bank or shore B as the mat A is fabricated and lowered into position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

v Iatented'Feb. 29, 19115'.

Application filed December 30, 1914. Serial No. 879,644.

The mat A consists of a plurality of sec- 'i tions D, D and D2, of which the section D is sliown complete in Fig. 6, connected along its sides and ends in accordance with my invention to the adjacent sections D, D2, and 1)3, such connections including heavy cables E, which I 'will hereinafter refer to as launching strands, whereby to form elements continuous longitudinally through the entire mat, capable of passage over sheaves or rollers upon the launching device ,C and of supporting the entire mat in the course oflaunching in order to relieve the concrete units and the mat sections themselves from breaking strain. By means through the several block units of the section, the transverse wires having their ends projecting beyond the ends of the said block units along oppositesides of the section in order to provide for the connection of the ends of these bonding wires to border strands H, and H which border strands may be in the form of small cables which extend along the section side and have their ends lapped upon the adjacent ends of the next sections, and which lapped ends are connected by bolted clips I, which also serve to hold them in connection with the launching strand E as best seen by reference to Fig. 4, in which the lappingl ends of the border strands of two adjacent sections are indicated at H2.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the projecting ends of the transverse bonding wires G are preferably coiled and welded around the border strands H and H', the former of section D and the latter of section D and it will also beseen that the several block units F of each of the sections are spaced apart and have their edges beveled so that in form they are substantially frusto pyramidal, permitting considerable iexure, particularly in a downward direction, at the spacing points F between the blocks, which I will hereinafter refer to as flexure joints.

A It will also be seen that in addition to the connection of lapping ends of the border strands H and H together and to the launching strands E, by means of the bolted clips I, and which clips may be utilized at any other points along 'the connections found either desirable or necessary, I utilize Curry ties and the like K connecting the strands E, H and H particularly at or opposite the flexure joints F. These Curry ties K which may be used at any other points found desirable-or necessary, and one of which is plainly shown in Fig. 3, are sections of wire twisted around thestrands mentioned.

From the structure of the mat thus described it will be seen that due to the, spaces between the several sections D, D', D2 and others, and the launching strand E extending through such spaces, the sections may be fabricated together upon the launching boat or device C and lowered therefrom and -into position by means of the launching strands over sheaves or pulleys without strain upon the several sections or the block units thereof.

A mat so constructed is not only economical of itself but is capable of being economically laid a'nd is highly practicable for the purposes for which it is intended either in strong currents or great depths. My revetment as thus described is, furthermore, particularly ada ted for difficult subaqueous application. enerally speaking gravel concrete will be used of suitable proportions of cement, river gravel, and sand, and it is planned to cast the revetment in sections of the width of a suitable wire fabric and of a length suitable for a group of men to handle.

Special forms will be used to span the wire mesh, and to hold'it in place and exure joints between the unit blocks, also to leave exposed the border of the wire fabric for handling and for fastening means'. The forms utilized are in unit sections of convenient size, so that the length of the mat sections may be increased as desired by the continuous addition of unit forms. When the first casting or in other words, the irst section has cured sufficiently, a -layer of greased paper is spread over it for a new surface and to prevent adhesion, and the casting operation is repeated, superimposingone section over another, and thereby loading the deck of a barge used for the purpose, with sections of mats ready to be transported to the site of ultimate use and there fabricated into the revetment directly from the position where cast on the barge, and thus with a minimum amount of labor in iTehandling. My revetment, furthermore, possesses the additional advantage of being fabricated entirely above the water and then The sections may be cast at the site of supply of the raw material, viz., the gravel, sand, and cement, under suitable weatherconditions, and reserved for future use, or transported to the site of fabrication and use, all without handling the sections of mats from the time when cast, to the time of fabrication into the complete revetment.

I claim 1. A revetment mat consisting of a plurality of sections spaced apart to form longitudinal channels throughout the mat and having exposed bordered strands, launching strands extending between the several sections parallel with and in spaced relation thereto Within said channels, and connections between'the launching strands and the adjacent portions of the border strands, substantially for the purpose set forth.

2. A revetment mat consisting of a plurality of sections spaced apart to form longituwhich sections comprises a plurality of flexibly united block units and has exposed and flexible border strands at its sides, launching strands extending between the several sec by which they may be connected to one an'- other, connections for uniting the border strands of adjacent sections, each of the sections consisting of a plurality of similarly spaced and flexibly connected block units and a plurality of bonding members extending continuously through the blocks throughdinal channels throughout the mat, each of out the section whereby to iexibly connect the blocks thereof, the said bonding wires projecting beyond the sides of the section and connected to the said border strands, and continuous launching strands extending between the several sections in one direction and connected rigidly to the border strands thereof. v

4. A revetment mat consisting of a plurality of sections having exposed border strands whereby they may be connected to one another in spaced relation, continuous longitudinal launching strands extending between the sections, each section consisting of a plurality of spaced flexibly connected block units, the spaces Vbetween which constitute flexure joints at right angles to the spaces between -the sections in which the launching strands are disposed, and connections between the launching strands and the border strands at the sides of the sections, certain of said iexure joints.

5. A. revetment mat consisting of a plurality of sections having exposed border strands whereby they may be connected to one another in spaced relation, continuous longitudinal launching strands extending between the sections, each section consisting of a plurality of spaced iexibly connected block funits, the lspaces between which constitute lexure joints at right angles to the spaces between the sections in which the launching strands are disposed, the ends of the border strands being lapped along the launching strands, clips for connecting the said lapped ends of the border strands` to the 'launching strands, and tie wires connecting the launching and border strands atl points opposite the said ilexure joints. Y

6. A revetment mat including a plurality of sections spaced apart to form parallel longitudinal channels, each of said sections including a series of uniform blocks of plastic material, and a continuous bonding wire fabric extending through the several blocks and reinforcing and inseparably connecting the blocks in spaced relation, the borders of two sides of the said fabric, in the direction at right angles to the longest' dimension of -said block, being exposed whereby 'to vprovde means for handlingand connecting the several sections, and parallel launching strands extending between the said sections, and continuous throughout the mat within said channels, said launching strands being connected to the exposed borders of the wire fabric of adjacent sections whereby to connect the sections in contiguous spaced relation and forni a flexible structure of revet-L Inent mat.

v 7 A. revetment mat including a plurality of sections, each of which sections constitutes a unit of construction, and consists of blocks fermed of plastic'material, vand a continuous wire fabric over which the severalY blocks are formed, the `fabric 'extending through the several blocks of the sections and the spaces therebetween and joining thel va plurality of uniformly spaced oblong 

